Troopers Investigate Separate Crashes Involving School Buses on Route 543

From Maryland State Police:

This morning, May 24th, 2017, Troopers from the Maryland State Police Bel Air Barrack investigated two separate collisions involving school buses. Both occurred on MD Rt. 543 between Redfield Road and MD. Rt. 22.

The first collision occurred at approximately 7:16 AM near the intersection of MD Rt. 543 and Hillside Drive, Bel Air, MD. The investigation revealed a Ford Explorer attempted to change into the left turn lane and struck a Mitsubishi Lancer. As a result of that collision, the Ford then struck the rear portion of a school bus. The school bus had 11 students on board. One student, a 15 year old male, was injured and transported to Upper Chesapeake Medical Center. The driver of the Ford Explorer, Anita Page, 45, of Joppa, MD, was charged with “Driver changing lanes when unsafe.”

The second collision occurred approximately 15 minutes later at the intersection of Rt. 543 and Redfield Road. The investigation, to include witness accounts, revealed the school bus failed to stop at a red traffic signal and struck the side of a Chevrolet Cobalt which was making a left turn from Redfield Road to Rt. 543 south. The school bus had 7 students on board. One student, an 11 year old female, was injured and transported to Upper Chesapeake Medical Center. The driver of the Cobalt, Artemis Howe, 30, of Forest Hill, MD, was transported to University of Maryland Shock Trauma via Maryland State Police Helicopter. The school bus driver, Angela Harpster, 40, of Forest Hill, MD was charged with failing to stop at a red signal.